Spring!

The latter part of March and the first part April have been good! Knock on wood, we are all in good health. After what seemed like never-ending rain, we have been enjoying SUPER weather. Sunny, temps in the high 70's. Marshall and I have been spending most of our time outdoors. We've also had some fun weekend activities recently.

Weekend before last, Marshall had a sleepover at his Grammy Mary Ann and Poppy John's on Saturday night and Chris and I went to dinner and a movie. A very nice date night. On Sunday, we drove up to the St. Helena/Calisotga area to meet friends for wine tasting. Such a fun day. The weekend even ended on a good note, having dinner with Mary Ann and John on Sunday when we picked Marshall up. Chris and I are still telling everyone that was one of the best weekends we've had in a long time!

This past weekend, Chris went to to Idaho with a couple friends for a ski trip. They had good snow and a fun time. Marshall and I were lucky enough to have the help and company of my mom over the weekend. She came to visit one last time before her annual 6 month stint at their cabin.

My sister has been fostering a puppy and trying to find him a home. We've been over to see him a couple of times. A sweet little guy. I wish we were in a position to take him (and his siblings) but hopefully a good home will come his way shortly. Here are some photos from our visits to Steph's:

Marshall Turns 4

At Grammy Mary Ann's office

Yay, Thomas!
Wild hair, new dino suspenders from grandparents, and new globe from Aunt Patty

Haley & Britt bringing cake to the b-day boys

Marshall's cake

Things are still a tad dreary on our end. The rain seems never ending, I am on my THIRD round of antibiotics for the month-long sinus infection, and now Marshall has conjunctivitis in both eyes. Yuck. Thankfully, we got drops from the doc right away and he's getting better quickly.

We did have a lot of recent birthday fun though! On Marshall's actual b-day, we rode BART (a big hit with the little boy) to SF to have lunch with his Grammy Mary Ann. She threw a little party at her office with cake and presents too. It was a really fun outing. That night, we had dinner with the Browns, to celebrate both Marshall and Tom's b-day. To top off a great day, Chris passed a big test for work.

As in past years, the weather was less than ideal for Marshall's party over the weekend. This year, it was not only chilly but poured rain. We were all a little squished in the house but everyone seemed to have a nice time, especially the b-day boy. He loved having his friends over to play and eat cake. Weeks ago, he had requested the following on his cake: sprinkles, licorice, gummy bears, and marshmallows. He helped me make the cake and frost it but then while he napped, I added the other fun items to surprise him. His response, "WOW, this is the best cake ever." I think I have the best 4 year old ever!

When it Rains, it Pours

I must have exceeded my fun quotient in February because March has been dismal thus far. Our cat, Amica, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. She'll hardly eat and is becoming very wobbly. She is almost 16, so health issues are hardly surprising but it is very sad to see her in decline. The vet says she has anywhere from 6 months to a couple years of decent quality of life left. Hopefully she'll continue to eat and we can keep her comfortable.

I spent the first weekend of the month recovering from gall bladder surgery. I'm not sure if I am just a big wimp or my expectations were off, but the recovery was much longer/difficult than I'd anticipated. It didn't help that my month-long cold turned into a sinus infection right after surgery. Blowing the nose and coughing with tummy incisions was less than comfortable. The second weekend in March brought us Marshall's first ever bout of the stomach flu. Poor little guy was sobbing, "I don't like throwing up." Who does, really? Marshall was terribly pathetic for a few days.

On the plus side of things, my mom came up to stay for a week after my surgery, which was super. She did EVERYTHING for us...cooking, cleaning, laundry, taking care of Marshall. It was so great to have her company and help. This week is off to an encouraging start, despite the poor weather. Marshall is healthy and I am feeling close to human again. Being able to move around, drive, and get out and about is nice. Tomorrow is Marshall's b-day so we're all looking forward to that!

Marshall wearing Chris' coat & making a funny face in the actual pouring rain

Birthday

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. Having it fall on President's Weekend was nice, since Chris had Monday off we could all have an extra day together. On Saturday, we had an enjoyable breakfast out with our neighbors, I got a much needed hair cut, and Mike and Heather hosted a Los Panchos take-out party at their house. A fun day overall. Now we're gearing up for the little boy's 4th b-day next month. He has declared that he wants every dessert imaginable (surprise, surprise).

Marshall and the birthday girl

Snow on Mt. Diablo

Good Times

At the moment, things are a little grim around here. We all have colds. A very grumpy household. Cold, stormy weather doesn't help. However, there has been some fun lately. Valentine's Day had highs and lows. I had planned a nice dinner at home for the three of us but Marshall boycott his nap, lost his marbles, and went to bed very early. Chris and I then had a romantic dinner by default. I might break my arm patting myself on the back, but my steak, risotto and asparagus turned out really well. I spent last weekend in Monterey with my friend Darcy. It was very relaxing, nice to catch up, and have a break from our normal routines.

Marshall and Ainsley making cupcakes

Me and Darcy at the beach in Carmel
Valentine's feast

Irony

Yesterday, Marshall was giving me his standard response to a request (i.e. NO) and I told him that he was always contrary. He replied, "no mama, YOU are always so contrary."

Other funnies:

• After he found out I'd packed him a special snack in his lunchbox, I said to him, "who loves ya, Marshall?" He responded, "I love daddy."
• The other day he said, "Mama, I like you and like giving you hugs." I said, "That is great! Can I have a hug now?" He ran away yelling, "NOOOOOOO!"

Tahoe

We spent this past weekend in Tahoe, celebrating my friend Aundria's birthday. It was a great trip! We went sledding on Saturday, went out for a fancy dinner Saturday night, Chris got to ski on Sunday. A big storm came in Saturday night so we had lots of fresh snow to play in. On our way home on Monday, we stopped to see my friend Anne and her baby, Claire. Such a fun weekend overall!

Marshall enjoyed making (and throwing) snow balls

He preferred pulling the empty sled to riding in it
Pulling daddy

Me, Julie, Aundria, and Kim

Marshall and Claire